Students crowded the Pegasus Ballroom and anticipation was in the air as the LINK Fall Auction kicked off on November 30. Over 850 students attended this annual event, hoping to win prizes including: a $1,300 tuition scholarship, free on-campus meals, a bicycle, video game systems, a free semester of pizza donated by Domino’s, an iPad and so much more.
Chloe Berryman, freshman in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, won the $1,300 tuition scholarship, donated by SGA, with a bid of 51,000 LINK Loot points. Berryman’s excitement was evident as she described the bidding process, “I was really nervous about winning the scholarship. I met so many other dedicated people who I was sure would have more points than me. I was shocked when I actually won.” She attended 67 LINK programs this fall to gain her 52,500 Loot total.
Over the fall semester, there were 339 LINK (Learning and Interacting with New Knights) programs offered to students, which is a 15 percent increase from last fall’s 293 programs. Each of these programs assists first-year students to connect to campus resources, their peers and the UCF community. Berryman enjoyed attending all 67 of her LINK programs and said, “My favorite thing about LINK was that I always walked away from the events with something new, whether it was food, information or a new friend.”
In spring 2011, LINK will be using LINKO, a customized BINGO game, to reward students with prizes. Students will be able to purchase LINKO tickets with their LINK Loot, and will be able to claim prizes that correspond to the number of Loot they accumulated throughout the semester. LINKO will be an innovative and engaging way to reward students for their participation in all of the events and activities that UCF has to offer.
LINK is a program of the Office of First Year Experience in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services.